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Daniel Greenfield @ the Sultan Knish blog puts into brilliant context exactly why government cannot do or build the things a culture with real individual incentive can build, no matter how much money the government continually throws at it…

The ObamaCare website is the natural spawn of that technocracy who love the idea of using modernity to make things faster and easier, but have no idea what anything costs or how it works.

It’s hard to have a functioning technocracy without engineers. A technocracy made in Silicon Valley with its complete disregard for anything outside its own ego zone would be bad enough. But this is a Bloombergian technocracy of billionaires and activists, of people who think that “progress” makes things work, rather than things working leading to progress.

Healthcare.gov showed us that behind all the smoother and shinier designs was the same old clunky government where everything gets done because the right companies hire the right lobbyists and everything costs ten times what it should.

If the government can’t build a health care website, how is it going to actually run health care for an entire country is the obvious question that so many are asking. And the obvious answer is that it will run it the way it ran the website. It will throw wads of money and people at the problem and then look for programs it doesn’t like to squeeze for extra cash.

The Navy had to be cut to the bone and the Benghazi mission had to make do without security so that a Canadian company which began employing a classmate of Michelle Obama’s could score over half a billion to build a broken website. Obama mocked Mitt Romney’s criticism of his Navy cuts by telling him that we don’t fight with bayonets and horses anymore. Bayonets and horses are outdated. In our glorious modernity, we spend fortunes to build websites that don’t work instead.

Modernity has to be built. It has to be constructed brick by bit by rivet by cable by people who know what they are doing. Modernity without competence is as worthless as the ObamaCare website which looked pretty enough to give the illusion of technocratic modernity, but didn’t actually work.

Competence is the real modernity and it has very little to do with the empty trappings of design that surround it. In some ways the America of a few generations ago was a far more modern place because it was a more competent place. For all our nice toys, we look like primitive savages compared to men who could build skyscrapers and fleets within a year… and build them well.

Those aren’t things we can do anymore. Not because the knowledge and skills don’t exist, but because the culture no longer allows it. We can’t do them for the same reason that Third World countries can’t do what we do. It’s not that the knowledge is inaccessible, but that the culture gets in the way.

It’s our very hollow modernity that gets in the way of our truly being modern. We can no longer build big things because the ability to implement vision on a large scale no longer exists. We can still do impressive things as individuals, but that’s also true of Kenya or Thailand. And in China, they can carry out grandiose projects, but those projects have no vision or competence.

The New York Post is reporting thousands of elderly patients have already lost, and are about to lose, their doctors because their Medicare plans are dropping the physicians out of their network. And this is just New York. I live in Ohio and my Mother told me at the beginning of this week that in the last two weeks (since ObamaCare went into motion) she has lost two of her own longtime doctors, and is in danger of losing her cardiologist, for the same reason. And I haven’t even talked to my Dad about this yet.

Just try to get a doctor to accept you as a new patient these days, let alone an elderly patient with years of complex medical history to catch-up on in order to treat him/her properly. It’s just not happening … and doctors and hospitals have already been refusing Medicare and Medicaid patients over the last few years before ObamaCare became a law. No, Grandpa, you cannot keep your doctor.

Here is Paul Ryan warning about the ObamaCare dangers (one of which is the above issue at hand) in that MSM and democrat talking-head(s) touted wonderful and gracious meeting Obama had at the White House for republican opposition to the then bill…

If you take the time to read just one thing this weekend seriously consider this article…

Wayne Allyn Root outlines why ObamaCare is going as planned, and is not a “trainwreck”, but the red train charging down the tracks headed for the destruction of our nation’s political, societal and cultural structure … and if the GOP intends to survive the real destruction planned by Obama they had better get their heads out of their collective asses and stand-up to it now.

The GOP needs to stop calling ObamaCare a “trainwreck.” That means it’s a mistake, or accident. That means it’s a gigantic flop, or failure. It’s NOT.

This is a brilliant, cynical, and purposeful attempt to damage the U.S. economy, kill jobs, and bring down capitalism.

It’s not a failure, it’s Obama’s grand success.

It’s not a “trainwreck,” ObamaCare is a suicide attack. He wants to hurt us, to bring us to our knees, to capitulate- so we agree under duress to accept big government.

Obama’s hero and mentor was Saul Alinsky — a radical Marxist intent on destroying capitalism. Alinksky’s stated advice was to call the other guy “a terrorist” to hide your own intentions.

To scream that the other guy is “ruining America,” while you are the one actually plotting the destruction of America. To claim again and again…in every sentence of every speech…that you are “saving the middle class,” while you are busy wiping out the middle class.

The GOP is so stupid they can’t see it. There are no mistakes here. This is a planned purposeful attack.

The tell-tale sign isn’t the disastrous start to ObamaCare. Or the devastating effect the new taxes are having on the economy. Or the death of full-time jobs. Or the overwhelming debt. Or the dramatic increases in health insurance rates. Or the 70% of doctors now thinking of retiring- bringing on a healthcare crisis of unimaginable proportions. Forget all that.

The real sign that this is a purposeful attack upon capitalism is how many Obama administration members and Democratic Congressmen are openly calling Tea Party Republicans and anyone who wants to stop ObamaCare “terrorists.”

There’s the clue. Even the clueless GOP should be able to see that.

They are calling the reasonable people…the patriots…the people who believe in the Constitution … the people who believe exactly what the Founding Fathers believed…the people who want to take power away from corrupt politicians who have put America $17 trillion in debt…terrorists?

And that isn’t even the meat of it. You must read the full article. We are in serious trouble.

I too have been saying for the last five years how Obama is not failing as everyone is perceiving him to be. He is failing by our own common sense standards, yes, but common sense like personal responsibility is intentionally becoming extinct. It’s as if people honestly expect him to do things the obviously correct way to fix the mess. However, all this devolution of our rights, the economy, and even our societal/cultural mentality serves his agenda and the ongoing progressive/socialist/communist/Marxist revolution’s purpose in this country.

Lost in the hubbub surrounding the malfunctioning HealthCare.gov is another missed deadline and closed door for millions of Americans seeking health insurance: Cuidado­DeSalud.gov.

The Spanish-language site still does not allow consumers to enroll for exchange coverage, a delay that was previously estimated by administration officials to last until mid-October.

A spokeswoman from the Health and Human Services Department declined to comment on when consumers will be able to sign up for health insurance on CuidadoDeSalud.gov and whether the additional delay is related to the malfunctions on the English language site, HealthCare.gov.

If I may, I ponder a possible(?) deliberate ‘glitch’ there because of this…

The continued holdup of CuidadoDeSalud.gov has staff at the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda pressing the White House to get a move on. The NHLA kicked off the National Hispanic Health Week of Action on Monday.

“This is a critical priority for the Latino community, that they have access to affordable health care,” NHLA Chairman Hector Sanchez said.

The NHLA is advising communities to apply by phone and paper, but said it will likely have another outreach campaign once the Spanish-language site begins accepting applications.

“The message here is that we have six months to get this done,” Sanchez said. “Even with these glitches, the process is easier than it was before.”

And the fact that:

1.) Very few have actually gotten onto the glitch-plagued primary ObamaCare site to even have an extensive look

Why does Florida keep sending Alan Grayson back to Washington DC time and time again? Are the people in Grayson’s congressional district really of like-mind with this unmitigated, uncivil, uncouth buffoon? Or are they just eager to get him off their streets and out of town?

Here is Grayson’s latest email…

What a propagandistic, agent provocateur, embarrassment this guy is.
Grayson is the epitome of a useful idiot assclown for the progressive/socialist/communist/Marxist democrat party agenda whose designated job is to go on the TV screen to slobber and spew ugly vitriol, playing to the most willfully ignorant among us … which is why the majority of TV gigs Grayson does are either on that assclown car wreck called MSNBC or HBO’s Bill Maher show. The problem is, the nation is led to believe Alan Grayson is the mirror image and resolute voice of his constituents that sent him to DC. Think hard and carefully in the election, FL-9. You do have a serious choice for sane and dignified representation on the floor of the US Congress … and on TV. “Stop the insanity!” The guy really does write the political ads for his own election opponent(s).

By the way, there are many minority members of the TEA Party, and growing, so, the above disgusting image is, I find, a not-so-subliminal threat to them by Grayson. Yet, people such as Grayson strip them of their skin color and heritage because they are not good little zip-lipped comrades for the “Progressive” cause. They must not think for themselves and expect others to do so as well. Minorities must have a political lobotomy or be skinned alive by the left. The jaded racist history of the nation’s democrat party is something the current democrats and the MSM try very hard to bury every moment of the day. However, since a republican POTUS broke free the chains of slavery, the liberal/leftist democrat party has slapped on new chains of oppression through endless entitlement baiting and addiction, and through ridicule and personal destruction for daring to have and practice free thought and free will … For stepping off the democrat party plantation.

Grayson is defending his remarks and the KKK analogy citing erroneous claims of racism of the TEA Party (some of which were discovered to be interloping outside ‘plants’ at TEA Party rallies deliberately there for the MSM to do gotcha slams against the TP, and other claims having nothing to do with TEA Party affiliations).

New York is not the only place in the nation where hospitals are refusing ObamaCare plans…

ObamaCare was supposed to offer more choices — but New Yorkers shopping for medical coverage stand to be shut out of two of the city’s most prestigious hospitals.

Only three of the nine plans being offered on the New York State Health Exchange cover bills at NYU and New York-Presbyterian medical centers, The Post has learned.

Those who opt for the other six plans will either have to go elsewhere or pay steep out-of-pocket costs, officials said.

Records show that New York-Presbyterian, the largest hospital system in the nation with 2,236 beds, is an in-network choice only for the United, Emblem and Aetna plans when chosen through the exchange.

The New York University system, which as 1,069 beds at its main Langone medical facility as well as its Hospital for Joint Diseases, has deals with Affinity, Fidelis and United, and for individuals with Oxford-United for small groups.

NYU and New York-Presbyterian continue to accept most commercial health insurance that is not regulated by ObamaCare.

“It’s a desperate attempt by the insurance companies to try to keep premiums down under ObamaCare. The only way to do that is to cut the number of hospitals patients can see use,” said Josh Archambault of the Foundation for Government Accountability.

[…]

Breitbart’s Dana Loesch was on Hannity last night on FNC and tried hard to get through cement-headed, democrat operative Steve McMahon’s ObamaCare talking points to get him to hear and understand this was going with some of the hospitals in her own hometown of St. Louis, one of which is a cancer treatment hospital. However, McMahon just fell short of calling her a liar, even though she told him the hospital’s head had given a public statement to the fact…

The other night on Jon Stewart’s TV show HHS Sec. Sebelius was asked how many people have actually enrolled for ObamaCare. She answered (@ 1:10) :

“Fully enrolled, I can’t tell you, because I don’t know. We are taking applications on the web, on the phone, we’ll be giving monthly reports, but I can tell you we’ve had not only lots of web hits, hundreds of thousands of accounts created” (10/8).

Last night on FNC’s Hannity FOX anchor Ainsley Earhardt was in the background with Sean checking in on her progress (she had been trying for days) on the ObamaCare exchange site (for South Carolina, her home state). Once in, after a couple of ‘click here’ prompts, she discovered she had to fill out lots of personal information pages, i.e., create an account, as Sebelius mentioned above.

People cannot just get on the exchange sites to browse the coverage plans and shop around without giving a plethora of personal information/data by creating an account on the site. Were else do you have to turn-over this sort of personal data/information before even shopping for something??? Are you opening your eyes and understanding this yet? Data mining…

Maryland’s Health Connection, the state’s Obamacare marketplace, has been plagued by delays in the first days of open enrollment. If users are able to endure long page-loading delays, they are presented with the website’s privacy policy, a ubiquitous fine-print feature on websites that often go unread. Nevertheless, users are asked to check off a box that they agree to the terms.

The policy contains many standard statements about information automatically collected regarding Internet browsers and IP addresses, temporary “cookies” used by the site, and website accessibility. However, at least two conditions may give some users pause before proceeding.

The first is regarding personal information submitted with an application for those users who follow through on the sign up process all the way to the end. The policy states that all information to help in applying for coverage and even for making a payment will be kept strictly confidential and only be used to carry out the function of the marketplace. There is, however, an exception: “[W]e may share information provided in your application with the appropriate authorities for law enforcement and audit activities.” Here is the entire paragraph from the policy the includes the exception [emphasis added]:

Should you decide to apply for health coverage through Maryland Health Connection, the information you supply in your application will be used to determine whether you are eligible for health and dental coverage offered through Maryland Health Connection and for insurance affordability programs. It also may be used to assist you in making a payment for the insurance plan you select, and for related automated reminders or other activities permitted by law. We will preserve the privacy of personal records and protect confidential or privileged information in full accordance with federal and State law. We will not sell your information to others. Any information that you provide to us in your application will be used only to carry out the functions of Maryland Health Connection. The only exception to this policy is that we may share information provided in your application with the appropriate authorities for law enforcement and audit activities.

The site does not specify if “appropriate authorities” refers only to state authorities or if it could include the federal government, as well. Neither is there any detail on what type of law enforcement and/or audit activities would justify the release of the personal information, or who exactly is authorized to make such a determination. An email to the Maryland Health Connection’s media contact seeking clarification has not yet been answered

[…]

If you send us an e-mail, we use the information you send us to respond to your inquiry. E-mail correspondence may become a public record. As a public record, your correspondence could be disclosed to other parties upon their request in accordance with Maryland’s Public Information Act.

A couple months ago Jim Hoft of The Gateway Pundit literally had a life changing experience on so many levels.

A sudden bacterial infection had Hoft near death, and undergoing surgery after surgery to save his life. He has obviously been gone from blogging while fighting his illness and the ramifications and the repairs to the infection’s damages done to his body.

I have been writing for blogs for several years now, and have always looked to Hoft’s The Gateway Pundit for breaking news scoops. He has a wonderful staff at TGP, and loads of friends in the blog world. Add to that the loyal TGP readers and Jim had a tsunami of good and positive thoughts all through this trying time in his life.

Today Jim Hoft finally had enough strength to hit the keys and let everyone know he was on the mend, and gave an accounting of the health misadventure he was still recovering through. However, as often we find with these health issues, our soul can no longer be ignored when the body threatens to give up…

Much of late August through September was blurry for me. I was very, very sick. I prayed, and prayed, and prayed, but was not sure if I was going to make it. It was such a dark, lonely place. But in the end, prayer won.

Since my memory is not clear, I’ve relied on friends and family to help tell this story.

The initial diagnosis was that I had a bacterial infection, so I was treated with antibiotics. My temperature continued to run high, reaching 103.5, an incredible number.

After more tests, my cousin, Dan, a top doctor at a nearby university hospital, came on the scene. He determined that I had an infection in my knee, in my bloodstream, and that it had affected the aortic valve of my heart, creating an abscess. Due to the complexity of the case, I was transferred from the community hospital to St. Louis University Hospital.

Before they could fix my heart, my badly infected knee had to be removed. This was done and I recovered over the Labor Day weekend, resting up for the most harrowing of all surgeries: open heart.

When the surgeons looked at my heart, they found the infection was more extensive than they had thought. During a twelve hour surgery, that was supposed to last only five hours, they removed the infection, replaced my aortic valve, took out a portion of the aorta near my heart, and put in a new artery that leads to the brain. They patched up a small hole I have had since birth and another hole the size of a dime, which was caused by the infection. The lead surgeon said this was within the top 1% of complicated cases in his career. Later, my cousin, Dr. Dan, said it was a unique case with several features that will make it a case study for years. But, the surgery did not go without complications. The heart machine broke down, and one artery they used became so brittle it broke apart during the surgery. But, God’s healing grace was there every step of the way.

I recovered miraculously in the immediate days following the surgery, cared for by wonderful nurses, friends, and family members, including my twin brother, who flew in from Hong Kong.

But there was more to come. Due to fluid buildup around my heart, I underwent surgery again a week later. Then a week after that, I underwent another surgery to remove fluid from around my lungs. After that last procedure, I had my best night’s sleep in more than a month.

In late September, I had a pacemaker placed under my skin, near my heart. The surgery went well, and I was moved to a skilled nursing facility.

There have been several other procedures and operations, but I am on the mend. I still don’t have vision in my left eye, I won’t have a new knee for many weeks, and the pain can be horrible.

Our interview with Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, Jorge Bonilla, with his thoughts and views on the U.S. border and immigration…

Part 3: The U.S. Border

BB: Mr. Bonilla, what are your thoughts and ideas on how to handle the U.S. border security problem? What should be done about the massive illegal immigration problem in our country?

JB:Border security, is above all else, national security. Before we have a democratic conversation regarding the fate of the undocumented, we must address the border, ensure it is secure, and reform our visa system, which accounts for over 40% of our illegal immigration problem. We seemed to have an alternative in place, we just need to be sure it is funded and implemented. Once that is accomplished, we can begin to talk about everything else.

In August, The Heritage Foundation presented a list of U.S. border and immigration questions voters should be asking their Congress members. I felt it was a very good list to present to Jorge Bonilla to answer for this part of the candidate’s interview…

JB:I’ve read many different studies on the economic impact of legalizing the undocumented. I think that there might be a net long-tern positive impact under the right conditions, but am unsure that Washington is willing to do what it takes to ensure those right conditions.

2. If illegal immigrants win amnesty, how is that fair to the 4.5 million who are waiting to enter the United States legally?

JB:It is my personal belief that any proposed “pathway to citizenship” must first take into account those immigrants who arrived here via legal means.

3. Can we ensure that a House-passed immigration bill doesn’t become a vehicle, in a deal with the Senate, for blanket amnesty?

JB:It seems that the House and the Senate are at currently at an impasse, so it is up to the people to hold their representatives accountable; this is true on both sides of the issue.

4. Does Congress need to pass new legislation to secure the border and strengthen interior enforcement?

JB:In my view, these goals could be accomplished within existing legislation and the will to enforce it.

5. Is there any guarantee that we won’t face this problem again with millions of new illegal immigrants in the future?

JB:There is none whatsoever, which is why we need to ensure we have legislation in place that actually works, as well as the will to enforce it.

We pick up our interview with Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, Jorge Bonilla, with his thoughts and views on domestic policy…

Part 2: Domestic Policy

BB: Barack Obama recently claimed the republicans in the Congress are being distracted by “phony scandals”. When asked about it the White House Press Secretary, Jay Carney, stated Benghazi and the IRS are “phony scandals”. Do you think any of the administration’s scandals being investigated are “phony” and not to be taken seriously?

JB:The “phony scandal” narrative has been aided and abetted by a willing media. One only need to ask what coverage would look like if any of these scandals had transpired during the Bush administration. I doubt any of the current outcomes would be the same.

BB: I already asked you about Benghazi (in Part 1), but your thoughts on these as well:

a. The Holder DOJ’s and ATF’s “Fast and Furious” gunwalking program

JB:The First Scandal. I am shocked that no one has yet gone to jail over this. The blood of Agent Brian Terry cries out for justice.

b. The DOJ spying on the AP and other journalists/reporters

JB:Chilling supression of freedom of the press and the First Amendment.

c. The NSA’s metadata program involving massive gathering and storing of various communication data of Americans

JB:An unprecented and unconstitutional violation of our privacy in the name of national security.

BB: Do you think we need more gun control laws in the country?

JB:No.

BB: Do you think ObamaCare is bad for the country, and what do you think should be done with the law?

JB:ObamaCare is a poorly-written piece of legislation that is already destroying jobs and wrecking our economy, and should be resisted at every possible opportunity and by every means available- until full repeal is available as an option.

BB: a. We hear month-to-month that the economy is getting better, but American workers are having their full time jobs cut to part time and having to take 2 or 3 part time jobs just to try to make ends meet in their personal budgets. During this administration “average annual growth in real GDP has been only 1.075 percent” (http://cnsnews.com/news/article/1-average-annual-economic-growth-under-obama ). Do you believe Mr. Obama’s economic policies are working, or are Americans being conditioned to accept these changes as our “new normal”?

JB:Mr. Obama’s economic policies are failing miserably, and as a result, Americans are being conditioned to “the new normal”. Recall all the “funemployment” articles that were written in 2009-2010, and Nancy Pelosi’s recent statements to the effect that the decline of the 40-hour workweek is great because now people will be free to find their true passion.

JB:The president is way off base here, and his ideological rigidity is in clear display. If 312,000 people are dropping out of the workforce over the course of a month (BLS 8/13), then no amount of jobs created is “insignificant”. It’s time top stop playing politics with our job creation and with our energy independence.

c. What are your ideas on domestic energy policy? Should we be drilling more on our soil? Fracking? shale? More clean coal? Building more refineries?

JB:All of the above and then some. Oil, gas, coal, nuclear…and ease the regulatory burden on our refining capabilities.

BB: Do you think the EPA has too much power in the country, and hinders our rights and the country’s economic growth?

JB:The EPA is out of control, infringes on our individual rights and places an excessive regulatory burden on our businesses and job creators. This agency is, quite frankly, the poster child for our unhinged administrative state.

BB: Your thoughts on “global warming”/”climate change”? Should our government be telling us what light bulbs and toilets to use, cars to buy/drive, signing onto any domestic or United Nation ‘carbon’-related “taxes”?

JB:No one doubts that there are cycles in which the planet cools and warms. However, I have no basis to determine that any of these changes are man-made, and so I wouldn’t support any of the climate bills making their way through Congress- nor would I allow any U.N. erosion of our national sovereignty under these pretenses. Furthermore, government should not be telling us what toilets or lightbulbs to install or cars to drive. Surely there are better uses for our time.

BB: Your views on abortion? Do you believe Planned Parenthood should be defunded? Should there be a banning on when a “fetus”/baby can be aborted, or should abortion not be regulated and should be free and on demand at anytime during a pregnancy, even in “born alive” situations? Do you think individual states have a right to make their own laws on abortion?

JB:I am staunchly pro-life, and do not believe that federal tax dollars should go to Planned Parenthood- period. I support -and would have voted for- the 20-week ban which recently came before the House, and personally believe no pregnancy should be terminated except that the life of the mother be in grave danger, and then only by a licensed physician. Furthermore, I am in full support of Born Alive legislation. Roe v. Wade recognized that these issues would eventually become before the states as medical technology catches up to the law.

We definitely need new blood in the out-of-control spending and overreaching Congress (on both sides of the aisle), and more members who will take a seat as a Constitutional conservative that will, first and foremost, represent the American people under the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Here are some of Mr. Bonilla’s thoughts on the issues at hand in the United States.

UPDATE: Look for Jorge Bonilla’s opinion on the current federal government “shutdown” below the fold.

Introduction:

BB: Mr. Bonilla, please give our readers some background on yourself. Your family/family history, up-bringing, schooling, work history and anything else that would give us a good bio-picture of you.

JB:I am of Puerto Rican descent. My grandfather served in World War II and in Korea. My parents came here in the late ’60s in search of economic opportunities. My father started out as a day laborer, and my mom as a factory worker. They met and married in Brooklyn, New York, where I was born. They emphasized the importance of learning English and of persistence as keys to success and achievement in America. I would go on to serve in the Marine Corps Reserves and later in the Navy, during the Desert Storm era. Shortly after conclusion of my military service, I relocated to Central Florida (1994). I’ve worked in the service industry, in retail, mortgage banking, and am currently employed as a court interpreter for the Ninth Judicial Circuit. I’ve been married to my best friend for 13 1/2 years, and we are -through the miracle of adoption- parents of a 14-month-old and a newborn.

BB: What moved you to decide to run for the U.S. Congress?

JB:The policies of the last five years have made clear to me that unless we take decisive action right now, we are in serious danger of leaving a diminished America behind to future generations. As a new parent, this is unacceptable to me. I believe that we can do better than runaway deficits, healthcare reform that doesn’t actually reform healthcare, and millions of unemployed. We must do better, and we will. This is why I’m running for Congress.

BB: Given Mr. Grayson’s colorful and creative abilities over the years on the House floor and in election campaigns, do you look forward to some of that rhetoric aimed in your direction during your campaign challenge? And do you expect a nasty race ahead?

JB:Alan Grayson is what he is and always will be, no matter how hard the media may try to spin otherwise. I can’t say that I’m “looking forward” to the hell that is sure to come down the road, but it would be foolish to plan for anything less. So I guess that’s a yes to both questions.

Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro expelled three top U.S. Embassy officials on Monday, accusing them of fomenting economic sabotage, including all-too-frequent power blackouts, in the oil-rich yet impoverished South American nation. Maduro’s remarks were right out of Hugo Chavez’s anti-American playbook. They dashed Washington’s hope that Maduro, a former union leader and bus driver, would be more “pragmatic” than Chávez, the popular firebrand president who died last March. Maudro was apparently unimpressed with President Obama’s desire for a reset in relations with Venezuela.

“Get out of Venezuela!” Yankee go home!” Maduro shouted on live television, during a celebration marking the bicentennial of a battle for independence from Spain. “Enough of abuses against the dignity of a homeland that wants peace.”

The embassy officials were identified as chargé d’affaires Kelly Keiderling; political officer Elizabeth Hoffman; and vice consul David Moo. They have 48 hours to leave the country.

Maduro didn’t say whether the trio had anything to do with the dark side of Venezuela’s so-called “21st Century” socialism: toilet paper and food shortages; an annual inflation rate of more than 45 percent; epic levels of corruption; and Caracas’ status as the world’s murder capital. Power blackouts also have been a problem.

“We have detected a group of officials of the United States Embassy in Caracas, in Venezuela, and we have been tracking them for several months,” Maduro explained. “These officials spend their time meeting with the Venezuelan extreme right wing, financing them and encouraging them to take actions to sabotage the electrical system, to sabotage the Venezuelan economy.”

Regarding the Obama administration, Maduro said he “doesn’t care” about its response. “We’re not going to allow an imperial government to come and bring money to stop companies operating, (and) to take out the electricity to shut Venezuela down.”

“Señores gringos, imperialists, you have before you men and women of dignity that…will never kneel before your interests and we’re not afraid of you. We’ll confront you on all levels, the political, the diplomatic.”

Maduro’s rant underscores that things can only get worse in Venezuela.

But here is something the American people absolutely need to be made fully aware of … Twitchy is reporting just a couple short hours before the midnight hour shutdown last night witnesses began tweeting on Twitter that pretty much every other Congress-critter that was filing into the House reeked of booze. THAT is how they spent their dinner hours? Slopping it down with bent elbows on a shutdown bender … perhaps in celebration … prior to entering chambers to continue to decide the fate of the American people and this debt floundering nation? Perhaps THIS is exactly how these SOBs come to work, on our dime, everyday. But in those hours prior to shutting down Obama added to the taxpayer Obama subsidies the US Congress and their staff are gifted with by adding abortion coverage to it. Recall, some democrats back in 2009 only added their ‘yes’ votes to ObamaCare passage by being promised it would not cover abortion. The 2009 “YOU LIE!” outburst from Rep. Joe Wilson seems to be echoing very loudly these days, on so many levels. Good God Almighty, help us…

Meanwhile, Sen. Harry Reid took to the Senate floor to channel England’s King George in 1773 by castigating the dangerous TEA Party anarchists……